Original subtitles

Somebody still here?

Okay, to answer your wife's basket now.

Where'd you go?

Blessed young lady, why don't you watch where you're going?

Well, if it isn't Hurricane Hollis.

You're cute, Mr. Hatfield.

What are you doing dashing off in all directions?

Well, I had to run some errands for Uncle John. I had to come here and get

silly old papers out of his safe. And I'm supposed to be dressing for a date.

Which one is it tonight?

Alex. No, it's Martin.

I mean, uh... Well, come on, now, make up your mind. Which one do you want it

be? Well, now, that's the trouble.

You know, they're both so, well, impressive and sweet and polite, and

know what to say to head waiters. You don't, I suppose.

Now, which one would you choose here?

What's that, the size of his bank account?

Oh, dear, nobody's supposed to see that.

Mr. Hatfield, I was wondering if you could check these tax forms again.

Miss Wilburn?

How are you?

Hi there.

Um... Vern, Elliot.

I ordered books for your uncle once in a while.

Oh, I remember.

Vernon. Well, now this is Alex and the dark one's Martin. Now what is your

absolutely best advice?

Um, I'd say whichever one can afford you.

For heaven's sake, they both come from wealthy families.

Well, I mean, that's how I know that they're not just interested in my money.

Your what?

Oh, well, you know, me being the Wilburn heiress and all that.

Hollis, would you mind stepping into my office just for a minute? I think

perhaps it is time that we had a little discussion about your future.

Oh, oh, no. My future's calling for me in just a minute, and I'm supposed to be

in a cocktail dress. Listen, I'll crash into you again sometime, Mr. Hatfield.

Goodbye. Goodbye.

Goodbye.

She's a real kook, isn't she?

Well, I'm afraid the kook is a square.

Miss Wilbur, the young gentleman is here.

Alex!

What are you doing here?

I've come for our date.

Have you forgotten?

Well, no.

No, of course not.

Don't be silly.

Alice, I was under the impression you had a date with me tonight.

Oh, dear.

Oh, I don't know how this happened.

I'm positive I have a date tomorrow night with one of you.

I don't know what to do.

Alex, you were here first, but I thought I had a date with you tonight, Martin.

So please forgive me.

I will call you.

I'm really awfully sorry.

Have a seat and I'll get my jacket.

You take your time. I told the taxi to wait.

I'll only be a minute.

I've been comparing your presentation against a survey I had made last year.

Being European, you have the advantage of knowing the market.

Yes, sir.

Also, I speak French as well as German.

I suppose your family is anxious for you to get this franchise.

The dealership of my company over there is a pretty big thing, you know.

So you just got your dates confused.

That's stupid of me.

But I've thought since I was here anyway.

You thought a little pressure wouldn't hurt.

Does that mean you have no confidence in your presentation?

Mine speaks for itself.

I don't have to sneak in here like a thief.

Would you like to speak for yourself outside?

Anytime. Gentlemen.

I could award the franchise to the winner.

But muscle really isn't important to a salesman.

Just relax now.

Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir. My apologies, Mr. Wilbur. As I started to tell Alex,

I've compared both your presentations with my own survey.

And you're both so close, there's not much choice.

So we have to consider other factors.

I think that the most important factor is a sound financial background, sir.

Which you, as a member of the Potter banking family, feel that you have.

Well, I have no intentions of getting help from my family. But you don't seem

object getting help from Hollis.

I noticed that it didn't take you long to turn on that continental charm.

It's all fair in love and business.

Now, that's enough.

My niece hasn't entered into this.

In fact, she seems to think about the same of both of you. So are you. And

that's not very much.

I guess it's nice to know what I really mean to you.

I mean, any girl would be flattered by two men being so utterly attentive.

Hollis, I'm... I know what you are, Martin.

I'm shocked, but... Well, at least now I do know.

Oh, well, what am I?

A sales promotion or a stepping stone? Is that it?

Or maybe I'm just an extra added dividend, you know?

Winner take all.

Well, it really doesn't matter because I'm no longer available.

Excuse me, sir.

No, Alex, you stay. I'll go.

Both of you stay here. Women are always like that.

Now, you boys want me to make an important decision.

But as I see it, you... Hello?

Yes?

You don't know me, Mr. Wilburn. I'm calling for a friend.

He'd like me to give you a message.

I'm busy just now.

My friend knows about that money you have hidden in a Swiss bank.

What are you talking about?

He knows it's money you haven't paid taxes on.

So you better talk to him before you give that franchise to anybody.

Who are you?

Who put you up to this?

Hello? Hello?

All right.

Which one of you?

Did one of you have that man call me?

I don't know what you're talking about, Mr. Wilburn. Never mind.

You better go now.

Time for your pill.

I don't want it. You get out of here, too.

Now, Mr. Wilburn, you'll only have another heart attack.

Tell me what... Oh, Uncle John.

They don't even care about me. All they're interested in is your old

What am I going to do?

Oh, now, tears aren't going to help.

But let's just see how much we know about these young fellas.

Oh, for instance, Martin.

Says he's from the Potter Petroleum family.

But has he talked much about the new Potter investments in the... Oh, he went

Harvard and... Well, Alex, then.

What's he actually told you about Gossner Industries?

How close is he to... Well, he went to the Surbund and he said... Hollis, I'm

asking you a... Well, I was so impressed that they'd even look at a girl who

went to Great Lakes High.

Oh, I wish I was back in Indiana right now.

Well, you can go anytime you like, my dear.

Might not be a bad idea.

Uncle John?

Is something wrong?

Do you have a problem, too?

Why, Mr.

Wilburn, what in the world... Tell Mr. McKinney I want to see him right now.

You know you shouldn't be here. You're not supposed to walk upstairs, let alone

five blocks to the office. If you're a doctor... Oh, stop fussing, Jean. I took

a taxi. This is important.

Mr. Wilburn would like to see you.

Is there anything I can do to help you? No.

Mr. McKinney will be right out.

In my office.

You're new.

Not really. I've been here since last April.

Well, I haven't.

So that's the big boss.

I was beginning to think he really didn't exist.

Now you know differently.

John, what is this nonsense? You ought to know better.

What's been happening to my safe?

What kind of a question is that?

One I want answered.

Well, I've had the workmen up this week to install a more modern safe in my

office, but yours is... I mean, who has the combination now?

You have. I have.

No drastic changes have been made around here. Why?

I had an anonymous phone call last night, Gage.

A man claiming he got proof out of this safe of some money I'm supposed to have

buried in a Swiss bank.

You mean illegal money?

Blasted, Gage, don't you play games with me.

I don't even know what's been going on around here for the past year.

But I'm going to find out.

Are you hiding money in a foreign bank?

I'll take into consideration, John, that you're upset.

And overlook that.

All right.

All right, maybe it's just a bluff.

Forget I asked.

Just a moment.

Oh, Mr. Wilburn, there's a phone call for you. Tell Mrs. Abernathy I don't

a pill.

It's a man. He said he called you last night.

Well? My friend said you'd go to your office this morning.

I guess he's got you figured out.

You can tell your friend he's a liar.

There's nothing missing from my safe.

I'm going to report this to the police, and you can tell your friend that, too.

I don't think that would be very smart, Mr. Wilburn.

My friend has your passbook from the Swiss bank.

All right.

If you can prove to me that he has that passbook, I'll do whatever your friend

wants.

Suppose you meet me... Well, my friend's idea is that... Not your friend, you.

Please do this my way.

You could use a thousand dollars or so for yourself, couldn't you?

I think

this is my cab.

Mr. Wilburn?

Are you the one that's been calling me?

Sure am.

Hop in.

He wanted me, then he didn't want me.

Called from the bank to say that we'd have to have lunch some other day. Oh,

dear.

But, uh... I've got a teller friend at that bank, and, uh... He tells me that,

uh... Your uncle... Your uncle drew $2 ,000 in $50 bills, and

then had the bank record the numbers. Then he, uh... Went outside and got into

cab and disappeared.

Something's wrong. I know it is. Poor Uncle John.

Hollis, could it have anything to do with your two young suitors?

They're not mine.

You know, one of the contradictions of our society is that the female can marry

for money, but if a man doesn't, he's a...

He's an unscrupulous opportunist.

They're not that.

Anyway, neither of them were interested in me.

All they wanted was that European franchise.

Young lady, if you weren't in orbit all the time, that possibility might have

occurred to you.

Well, what difference does it make?

I'm really worried about his Uncle John and all the nice things he's done for

me.

How about that?

You know, I once dreamed of putting myself through law school doing this.

a fact.

I'd hustled a few city slickers for eating money.

Those days I looked like a simple, earnest country boy who wrote home every

week. But then I met up with a real hustler and found out that's exactly

was. A simple, earnest country boy.

And sharing time came around.

You think I'm the original farmer's daughter, don't you?

Hollis? No one's immune to a broken heart.

But that's not what I'm talking about.

Well, what then?

Your uncle once told me that I was to safeguard the interests of all his

stockholders. Fortunately, that includes you.

Because I find that your uncle is a pretty sharp businessman.

What are you talking about?

My uncle is the nicest and the most generous businessman. I know, I know, I

know. But suppose he isn't the only one who is in trouble.

A lawyer is supposed to do his job and keep his feelings to himself.

But suppose he sees a nice little lamb getting sheared.

Do you mean me?

That's nonsense. I'm not even going to listen to you.

So you got back.

I didn't go on a world cruise.

I'm just surprised you didn't drop in the street someplace.

Mrs. Abernathy, I phoned the druggist to have my prescription refilled.

You can pick it up any time.

That's when I'll do it.

All right.

You win.

Tell your friend I'll meet him tonight.

I'm too ill to go out anymore.

You'll have to come over here.

Say, eight o 'clock?

Sure, Mr. Wilburn.

And thanks for the, uh, tip.

Mrs. Abernathy said you wanted to see me.

Uncle John, I've been trying to see you all afternoon, but... All right, Hollis.

Now you better tell me who it was you gave that combination to.

Comma what to?

Just try to keep it a simple answer, please.

Uncle John, I know you've been upset about something, but... My office safe

rifled by somebody who knew that combination.

There was only one place that could have got it.

That's a horrible thing to say.

You had it the day you went to get the envelope.

You wrote it in a card, remember?

Now, whom did you give it to?

Oh, nobody. What a ridiculous... I warn you, I'm going to find out anyway.

So you may as well tell me the truth right now.

Uncle John, do... Do you think of me as... As a lamb?

Oh.

Suppose I told you I decided to go back to Indiana.

I told you it wasn't a bad idea, didn't I?

I need some money.

All right, all right. But just now, Hollis, I'm too big.

Maybe I'd even have to sell my share of your company.

Your share?

The 15 % my father left. For the love of Pete, you signed that over to me.

What concerns me now, Hollis, is that... Well, you said you only wanted control

of it for business reasons.

But all those papers I signed...

Uncle John, have you really been trying to cheat me? How dare you talk to me

like that? Well, I don't know. Maybe it's the truth. Shut up, you little fly

-bring. Well, let go of me. Swiss bank accounts.

Blackmail, and now you're talking like this? Well, Uncle John, all I have... Be

quiet, I said.

You gave that combination to someone. You may be helping someone.

Now, who was it?

Hello? Doctor's Exchange.

I want you to get Dr. Lewin right away.

This is Mrs. Abernathy.

Mr. Wilburn went down to his office today, and I... Is that John Wil...

I know I should have stopped him, but now he's having a terrible quarrel with

his niece.

I know it'll bring on another seizure.

Mrs. Abernathy, what do you think you're doing?

Get off the line. I want to make a call.

No, Mr. Wilburn. You've been misbehaving, and I want the doctor.

Then give me my pills.

Give me my prescription.

Do something useful for a change.

Please, Mr. Wilburn.

I don't need doctors. I need lawyers. Most of all, I don't need you stupid

around here.

No, don't do that.

Alice, help!

Please!

Mr. Wilman!

Mr. Wilman, I've locked the door!

Mr. Wilman, please!

Answer me!

What's

wrong?

Don't just stand there doing nothing.

Run to the neighbors.

Get help. Get the doctor.

Hurry!

Is anyone there?

Hello? Oh, Mr. Hatfield?

Vern? Don't tell me you're still at the office.

Well, I just finished those tax reports, and your private phone rang.

It rang so long, I thought maybe I'd better answer it. Anyway, I'm almost

it was Mr. Wilburn's voice.

Well, what did he want? What did he say?

Well, that's just it. He shouted, Hollis, no, don't do that.

Hollis, help.

Well, the line's still open, but nothing. I've yelled, whistled

it. I'll get right over there.

Just a minute. I think somebody's on the line now.

Hello, Mr. Wilburn?

Who's calling him?

Well, Mr. Wilburn called here.

May I speak to him, please?

Not a chance. This is the police.

I killed him, Mr. Hatfield.

What?

You were right about me being sheared like a lamb.

I am such a fool.

You know, first it was the boys and then Uncle John.

I called him a thief. I guess I exploded all over the place. And he accused me

of robbing his safe.

Well, then I shouted at him and...

He had another attack, and I... Now, now, now. Wait a minute. Wait a minute.

thing at a time.

Were you in the study with your uncle when he had the attack?

Yes.

Oh, no. I mean... Well, he started getting all purple in the face, and... I

so angry, I just ran out and bawled like a baby.

Where did you go, Miss Wilbur?

You're Lieutenant Anderson.

We've never met Mr. Hatfield, but I understand the deceased was calling your

office when he died.

So I've been told.

Yes, well, we'll get back to that.

Where did you go, Miss Woodburn, after you left the study?

I climbed up on the wall.

Up on the wall?

Under the avocado tree.

You know, in the garden.

I see.

But why?

Well, I... I just wanted to be alone and cry it out.

All my life, back home in Indiana, when I wanted to be alone and cry, I'd climb

up on the fence, and tonight I climbed up on the wall.

Under the avocado tree.

You can see the window of your uncle's study from there, can't you?

Yes, but I couldn't see anything. The drapes were closed.

But if anybody had come out of that window, you would have seen him,

you? But I saw nobody come out of the window.

And the only other exit was the door.

bolted from the inside.

Lieutenant, are you suggesting that Wilbur wasn't alone when he had that

He couldn't possibly have been alone, Mr. Hatchfield. You see, he didn't die

a heart attack.

He was murdered.

Oh.

We've reconstructed it this way.

He telephoned your office. Somebody there, a Mr. Vernon Elliott, answered

heard him shout, Hollis, no, help.

And there was a crash.

The murderer ripped the phone out of Mr. Wilburn's hand and struck him on the

temple.

The blow was fatal.

And the murderer escaped through the window.

Without Miss Wilburn seeing him?

Yes. You see, Lieutenant, she ran into the house when she heard Mrs. Abernathy

scream. That left the way open for the murderer to escape by the window. That's

very quick thinking.

By the killer, I mean.

He commits a murder and waits calmly in the study with his victim, all the while

the housekeeper is trying to break the door in until Miss Wilburn leaves the

garden? You're up against a very clever murderer, Lieutenant.

He's brilliant, Counselor.

If he wasn't, he'd never have guessed that Miss Wilburn was sitting up on that

wall.

You knew Perry still count blessing, didn't you?

I thought he might be.

That's why I came over now. I don't want him around while I make a proposition

to you.

Oh, goodness.

What is it this time?

Did Perry come to work for me?

Isn't it bad enough you're picking my brains about one of Perry's old cases?

Did you check the file?

Mm -hmm.

And, uh, now tell me just, uh, what did you find out?

Mm -hmm.

Wilburn versus Wilburn. Mm -hmm.

It happened about a year ago. A girl named Hollis Wilburn sued her uncle over

estate.

There's only one trouble, though.

Aren't you John Wilburn's lawyer now?

I was, briefly.

He managed to get himself murdered last night.

Oh.

Well, Hollis's father had done some work which gave him a small interest in Mr.

Wilburn's company.

She inherited it from her father, but...

Mr. Wilburn denied any such interest.

What was the legal determination?

Perry won the case for her.

She was awarded 15 % of the company.

Della, what I don't understand, though, is why didn't Perry continue to manage

her interests?

Oh, because she moved to Indiana.

Oh, no, no, she didn't. That's the fascinating part of it.

She went to live with her uncle.

Perry didn't know about this.

Perry doesn't know about everything.

Don't keep him talking too long, will you?

Oh, I wish I had somebody to make a fuss over me like that.

Hello, Perry.

Sherman Hatfield's here, and... Tell him I won't be ready for a game of pool

until next week.

I heard that, Perry. It's a date.

In the meantime, tell me, why did you throw Hollis Wilburn to the good gray

wolf? Well, I didn't do it willingly, Sherman.

The girl mailed me a check and terminated my services.

Why? Is she in trouble?

Up to her pretty teeth.

Tell me, who does your gumshoe work for you?

Paul Drake.

Sherm. I like Hollis Wilburn.

What are you trying to do to her?

Defend her.

Hollis, I didn't mean to frighten you.

Whatever. Think about whether I should go into the house or not.

That's all right.

If you'll excuse me. There are things I wanted to explain.

There are?

Of course, I read about your uncle's murder.

Did you also read that the killer escaped from the window?

You know, the killer couldn't have seen me sitting on the wall because of the

branches of the avocado tree.

But I think there's something that I better tell you.

I saw him.

I don't understand.

It says in the newspapers.

I lied to the police.

Why? Well, I thought that Uncle John had had another heart attack, and I saw no

reason to involve either you or Martin.

What you really mean to say is that you saw the murderer, but because of the

dog, you didn't know who it was.

I didn't say that.

Alice, you should be saying that to the police, not to me.

And the other young fellow, Martin Potter, caught up with her not ten

later.

And I suppose he was just as anxious and denied it just as loudly.

He said she was an idiot to have lied to the police and advised her to come

straight to you.

Well... Come in, will you, Hollis,

please?

How much money have you got in that pocketbook of yours?

Huh?

About $20. Let me have it, huh?

This is Mr.

Drake. This is Miss Wilbur. Hi.

I'll give you a receipt a little later on. Now, you've just retained me as your

counsel, and, young lady, you're going to tell me the truth.

Did you or did you not see a man climb out through that study window last

Yes, I did.

But I didn't see who it was, and he got away before I could climb down the wall.

Well, it's the truth.

I believe you, but I'm not entirely objective.

Now, let's pretend that Mr. Drake here is a policeman. Are you convinced, Paul?

Nope.

Well, I don't think you're very nice.

What he means is the police are going to think that you created an unidentified

man when you realized that the murderer could only have left that study through

the window.

Because if there wasn't a man, then you must have killed your Uncle John.

But just because we had a little argument?

Tell me, Hollis, what happened to your 15 % interest in his company?

Well, I don't know exactly, but I signed a lot of papers, and after the

settlement, Uncle John was very nice to me and asked me to come live there.

You know, I guess what I did was sign a release, giving him control of my share.

But then he made out a will, leaving me the whole company.

Who witnessed that will?

I don't know.

Well, Uncle John showed me the rough draft, and he said he was going to give

to his lawyer.

Oh.

That was done before I was retained, you see.

Tell me now, uh... No, never mind.

You run on home now, young lady, and try and keep out of trouble if you possibly

can.

With that for a motive, I'd make an arrest.

But, uh, only if John Wildman left such a will.

Or threaten to change it afterwards.

No, that's what worries me.

He intended to change it. He mentioned it to me on the phone the day before he

died.

You know, Gage McKinney swore nobody had the combination to that safe except

John Wilburn.

I guess he didn't know about you.

Do

I

look all right?

Yeah, you look... Why?

Well, I've never been in court before. I didn't know what to wear.

You didn't have much choice, did you?

I would say you look very lovely.

Could we please stick to the main issues, Mrs. Abernathy?

Now, when you went to get the deceased his medication, how long were you away?

Down at the corner drugstore.

How long does that take?

That's what I'm trying to determine.

Ten minutes, maybe?

All right.

You didn't see the defendant leave the study?

I didn't see anything.

All I know is the door was bolted on the inside.

I pounded and I hollered.

You got no response at all?

He shouted, don't do it, Hollis.

No, Hollis.

Something like that, but nothing more.

Now, those were his exact words, Mrs. Abernathy?

Mr. Berger, you don't stop to take notes when a man sounds as frightened as Mr.

Wilbur did.

Your witness, Mr. Hatfield.

Mrs. Abernathy.

Were you gone from the house long enough for the defendant to have left the

study? How long does it take to walk out a door?

Matter of seconds, I should think. And the same length of time for somebody

to be admitted.

I guess so, but I'm sure that nobody... No further questions, Mrs. Abernathy.

His exact words were, Hollis, no.

Don't do that.

No, Hollis.

Mm -hmm.

And then there was a crashing sound as if he dropped the receiver, but... What

action did you then take, sir?

Well, I kept the line open, and I contacted Mr. Hatfield on another phone.

And could you tell us, Mr. Elliott, what you happened to be doing in Mr.

Hatfield's office that night?

Well, I... I'm an accountant in the building there.

Very well, sir. Your witness.

Go on.

Just why were you working so late in my office that night?

Well, you had all those tax reports pertaining to the franchise deal in

you know. Yes, I know it, but the court doesn't.

Well, a client of his, Wilburn and McKinney, they were in the process of

awarding a European dealership for their electronic amplifying devices.

Who were the bidders for this franchise?

One was a man from New York, Martin Potter, and the other was...

A man representing a Swiss company, Alex Gosner.

Did John Wilburn at any time ever indicate to you which one he was going

the franchise to?

Well, no, sir.

Anyway, I guess Mr. Wilburn was murdered before he could make a decision.

Wasn't he?

No further questions. Thank you.

Your Honor, the witness who could best present the next step in the

prosecution's case is...

unavailable at this time.

I'm referring to Mr. Perry Mason.

However, we believe that substantially the same testimony can be delivered by

his confidential secretary, who has, of course... Your Honor, the defense has no

objection to Miss Street standing in for Mr. Mason.

Well, thank you, Mr. Hatfield. Not at all, Mr. Berger. I call Miss Della

to the stand.

Just where to tell the truth, the whole thing... I remember her.

She's nice.

Why are you calling her?

To give you a motive for murder?

Well, Miss Street, having you here just as a witness for the prosecution is a

rare experience for both of us.

I'll try not to be hostile, Mr. Berger. Well, that'll be a rare experience, too.

Now, Miss Street, in March a year ago, your employer, Mr. Mason, represented

defendant in this case in a civil suit against her uncle, the decedent John

Wilburn. Could you tell this court the nature of that suit?

Hollis Wilburn sued to establish ownership of 15 % of John Wilburn's

And what was the outcome of the suit?

The court upheld Miss Wilburn's claim.

Now, could you tell us what disposition she then made of her interest in the

business? I don't know, Mr. Berger.

We've had no further connections with either party.

Well, could you tell us who paid Mr. Mason's final fee?

We received a check.

From Mr. John Wilburton.

Thank you, Miss Jane.

Yes, I recall typing and witnessing an agreement in which Hollis agreed to

transfer full control of her interest in the company to Mr. Wilburton.

Miss Crewe, I have in my hand a document which purports to be the last will and

testament of the decedent, which, with the court's permission, I intend to

as States Exhibit 11.

This is a holographic will. I wish you would examine the signature.

Yes, this is his.

It's all his handwriting, even the date.

Thank you.

We intend to confirm Miss Crew's opinion with the testimony of a handwriting

expert, of course.

But briefly, Your Honor, this document states that, aside from token bequests,

the decedent's half of the partnership of Wilbur and McKinney goes to the

defendant. Alice Wilburn.

Thank you, Miss Crewe. That'll be all.

Your witness.

Miss Crewe, recently, when I was retained as counsel for John Wilburn,

you delivered to me most of his private papers.

Yes, I remember.

But there was no mention of this last will.

He must have kept it in his safe.

However... Another will was included among those papers, and it's dated four

years ago.

Therefore, it could be invalidated by States Exhibit 11.

In this earlier will, you were named as the principal beneficiary. Isn't that

right? Yes, I guess I was mentioned in his will once.

Your name was also mentioned along with John Wilburn in a number of gossip

columns. Isn't that right?

Several years ago, John Wilburn asked me to marry him.

Then he had a heart attack, and his doctor advised him against marriage.

Oh, then this will, in your favor, was in the form of reparations.

Scarcely, Mr. Hatfield.

This will was made out long before all this happened.

Did you know about this last will in which you were to receive, well, only a

token bequest?

No, I didn't. And it wouldn't have mattered anyway.

I wasn't going to marry him for his money.

And I wasn't going to be nice to him for his money or anything else.

When did you last see John Wildman? The day before he was murdered. He came down

to the office for the first time in almost a year.

For what reason?

I don't know.

He went into conference with Mr. McKinney.

Thank you. No further questions.

As I said before, John was so upset that day that he wasn't entirely coherent.

But he implied that something had been stolen from his private safe.

And you claim that you don't know what that was?

No, I don't.

Could it have had anything to do with a Swiss bank account?

I beg your pardon?

Well, didn't he mention anything to you about his being accused of having

concealed rather a large sum of money illegally in a Swiss bank?

Mr. Hatfield, John specifically denied having any such fund. But he did inform

you that someone was attempting to blackmail him.

Well, yes.

He thought that one of the bidders for the franchise was trying to exert some

pressure on him to influence his decision.

But then he decided it was a bluff.

I mean, since John didn't have any money concealed, the pressure wouldn't work.

Wasn't the pressure exerted on the wrong man?

I, uh, I don't understand that question.

A bluff, Mr. McKinney, depends entirely on the one person not knowing what cards

the other person holds.

Now, if John Wilburn didn't have money hidden in Switzerland, the blackmailer's

evidence wouldn't have bluffed him even for a minute.

Therefore, the blackmailer either was a complete idiot or had evidence that

applied not to John Wilburn, but to somebody else.

Could that somebody else have been you?

I wasn't trying to evade taxes.

If I declared it, Wilburn might have found out.

You mean that you kept a record of your deposits in John Wilburn's own safe?

I merely put the passbook in there for a few days, that's all.

I was afraid the people at the office might have caught on to the combination

my own saves, so I was having it changed.

Well, John Wilburn hadn't been in his office for a year, but... Yes, somebody

stole it and... somebody tried to blackmail the wrong man.

Wouldn't all this have been simple arithmetic for John Wilburn to have

out? He said nothing to me about his conclusions.

Didn't he, Mr. McKinney?

I submit that he accused you of theft and threatened you with exposure in

prison. And in order to prevent that, perhaps you killed him.

No, sir, I did not.

I have no further questions. Thank you.

Mr. McKinney.

Now that you've brought up the matter of who opened that safe and stole the

passbook, I suggest there's another matter you better tell us about. Who had

combination of that safe?

John Wilburn or myself. That's all, just the two of us. Are you sure that's all,

Mr. McKinney?

Well, I certainly never gave it to anyone else.

Yes, but what about Mr. Wilburn? Couldn't he have given the combination

niece, for example?

Oh, I see what you mean.

That's where the girl was arrested, wasn't it?

Opening the safe again?

Hollis, about Alex and Martin... I don't want to talk about them.

I tore up their pictures.

You said your uncle was going to award the franchise to the one who had the

family connection.

Apparently that's the way he always did business, with one eye out for his own

gain. My uncle was always pumping me about the boys.

Did he ever say anything that suggested he thought one of them might be a fake?

They both are.

No, that's not what I mean.

Mr. Drake is checking their background.

Martin is a remote cousin of the petroleum potters, but we're not even

Alex is a member of the Gossner industry families at all. What difference does

that make?

I want to find out which one was putting pressure on your uncle to get that

franchise.

Well, I don't think that either of the boys did it.

I think it was Gage McKinney that did it.

Don't you?

And now, Mr. Gossner.

You were at this time trying to obtain this European franchise from John

Wilburn, is that correct?

Yes. And at the same time you were friendly with the defendant?

Yes, I was.

Did you ever in any fashion obtain from the defendant the combination to her

uncle's safe?

Absolutely not.

Thank you, Mr. Gosner. That will be all.

Mr. Hatfield.

Mr. Gosner, you may answer this question with a simple yes or no or any way you

like.

What were your feelings toward Hollis Wilburn?

I was in love with her.

I still am.

And thank you for giving me the opportunity to say it.

You're very welcome, Mr. Gosner.

Now you have the opportunity of telling us if you at any time ever attempted to

blackmail Mr. Wilburn.

I did not.

You never told him any lies, never... Of course I told him lies.

But only about my background.

How else could I get the job?

How else could I get the girl?

You don't understand, sir.

I felt only by obtaining the franchise would I be in a position to ask any girl

to marry me.

Then you had good reason to use every effort to obtain it.

Every effort, Mr. Hatfield.

But not blackmail.

It's ridiculous to think Hollis gave the combination of that safe to anyone.

I'll bet she never even knew it.

Of course she knew that combination, Your Honor. She had to.

The day after the murder, I found her taking some papers out of the safe. Now,

how else could she... I think that clarifies the matter sufficiently,

Lieutenant. Thank you.

Mr. Hatfield?

Lieutenant.

Did you actually see her open that safe?

No, I'll admit it was already open before I walked in. But no further

Thank you.

Your Honor, the prosecution would like to recall Mr. Vernon Elliott.

Yes, sir.

It was a day or two before the murder. I remember I heard her tell Mr. Hatfield

that she'd been sent by her uncle to get some papers for him from the safe.

It was late and everyone else had left for the day. And when you saw the

defendant, did she have any papers in her possession?

Well, she had a large envelope, which she indicated came from the safe, if

that's what you mean.

That's exactly what I mean.

And thank you for settling the matter once and for all.

Your witness.

Byrne, how well do you know Hollis Wildman?

Well, a lot better than she knows me, I guess.

We used to run into each other every so often, but she never seemed to remember

me. In other words, uh...

Her retentive powers were not of the best, huh?

Now, assuming that her uncle had given her the combination that day, do you

think that she could have remembered it two or three days later?

Your Honor, the witness is being asked to state an opinion.

Anyway, even if the defendant's memory is as poor as that, she certainly could

have written down the combination before she left home.

That's right.

That's right.

Thank you very much, Mr. Berger. You remember, Vern, she had it written on a

card. Don't you remember? And she said something to the effect that nobody was

supposed to see it.

Yes, sir. I remember that she tore something up, all right. Yes. And you

up the pieces and pieced them together.

I what?

Oh, no, sir, no. Of course not.

And then you opened the safe, probably looking for anything of value.

But you hit the jackpot, didn't you, Byrne?

A Swiss bank book that suggested blackmail. Oh, isn't that correct?

You're not serious, are you?

Murder is very serious, Byrne.

But, Your Honor, I was in his office when the murder happened.

I got the phone call from Mr. Wilburn. Of course. And you heard him cry for

help. And the words you heard him say were confirmed by Mrs. Abernathy.

But, uh...

Suppose you didn't hear those words over the telephone.

Suppose you were right there in the study with John Wilburn when he tried to

phone his attorney and when he tried to call Hollis for help.

No, that's crazy.

So you killed him and escaped the only way possible through the window.

Then you went straight to my office.

The phone there was still ringing.

Why? Because nobody yet had got into the study to break that connection.

And you simply held on until the police spoke into that receiver.

Now, tell the truth, Vern.

Isn't that exactly the way it happened?

I... I never thought anyone would ever... It was such a perfect

alibi.

There's no such thing as a perfect alibi, Vern.

Not when you've committed murder.

You guessed.

You just must have guessed it was Vern.

Why not?

Perry Mason does it all the time.

Does he? He does just what Mr. Hatfield did.

He puts all of the facts in his head, then spins them around until it hits the

lucky number. Ouch.

But you see, Hollis, there was no point in my jumping to the same conclusion

that your uncle did, that it had to be one of those boys who was putting the

pressure on him.

Too many people would like to have had that franchise, including Burns.

So he had Burns' telephoning friend accept some money.

extortion money, mark money, which, of course, he started to spend.

Then he had the taxi driver followed, and that led him to who Vern really was.

So when Vern showed up that night, hoping to make all kinds of fancy deals,

was met by a man who had all the evidence necessary to throw him into

attempting blackmail.

It scared Vern, so he killed him.

Well, I understand all that.

But, well, there's still one awful thing.

Awful? Why, Hollis, you were just cleared of murder charges.

And you were practically proposed to right from the witness stand by two very

charming young men.

That's it.

That's just the trouble.

Now, if Alex and Martin, if they're both really all right, what am I going to

do, Mr. Hatfield?

Which one do I really like the best?

Hollis. I'm going to leave this larger problem in more capable hands.

The client is yours, Della. Good night, ladies.

Good night.